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Fausto Maculan is one
of the great characters in the world of wine. His larger than life personality,
wicked sense of humor and charm are all reflected in these gorgeous wines. Much
of Maculan’s vision is clearly informed by a huge passion for the finest wine
and food money can buy. The eye-popping collection of lovingly cared for icon bottles
in Maculan’s personal cellar is but one sign of the heights this driven producer
strives for. Maculan is best known for his dessert wines, and rightly so, as
they represent a glorious pinnacle of achievement. That said, Maculan is proving
to be equally skilled with his dry red wines. This incredible tasting covered a
number of older vintages of Maculan’s top reds, Fratta and Crosara, and sweet
dessert wines Torcolato and Acininobili.

The Maculan estate is
located in Breganze, just north of Vicenza. The vineyards are sprawled
throughout the surrounding hills and are some of the most meticulously cared
for vines I have ever seen. Though fairly non-descript on the outside, the
winery is impeccably appointed inside.

Maculan’s Fratta is a
Bordeaux inspired blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with the Cabernet
typically making up 70-80% of the blend. The wine spends 12 months in new
French oak prior to being bottled without fining or filtration. Over the last
few vintages, Fratta has emerged as one of Northern Italy’s most compelling
reds. This vertical was fascinating as it traced an arc of development shared
by so many Italian red wines. During the mid to late 1990s, Fratta was made in
the style of the time, which is to say with an eye towards achieving as much
color and intensity as possible through the heavy use of small French oak
barrels. Today’s wines are made with a lighter touch with regards to cooperage
and as a result a remarkable purity of fruit has begun to come through.

The
2007 Fratta, tasted from barrel, is wonderful
for its richness. This expansive, soft Fratta offers up red berries, herbs,
licorice, spices and French oak. Today the wine is surprisingly accessible, but
it will almost certainly firm up in bottle. In 2007 Fratta is 62% Cabernet
Sauvignon and 38% Merlot. (92-95)/Anticipated
maturity: 2010-2017. The 2006 Fratta
(80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot) is a touch disjointed at this stage.
Wild cherries, grilled herbs, earthiness, leather and roasted coffee beans
emerge from this wild, unrestrained Fratta. The 2006 needs time to come together
but it is shaping up quite nicely. 93+/Anticipated
maturity: 2011-2021. The 2005 Fratta issoft, round and beautiful, with no
hard edges. This medium-bodied Fratta possesses gorgeous harmony in a
medium-bodied style that should drink nicely with minimum cellaring. In 2005
Fratta is 68% Cabernet Sauvignon and 32% Merlot. 93/Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020.

The
2004 Fratta (66% Cabernet Sauvignon
and 34% Merlot) has developed splendidly since I last tasted it. A seamless
wine, it emerges from the glass with superb pedigree in an extraordinary,
layered expression of dark fruit. Everything is in the right place in this
magical, spellbinding Fratta. 96/Anticipated
maturity: 2010-2022. The 2003 is a
round, gorgeous Fratta. The heat of
the vintage has robbed the wine of some aromatic complexity, yet a surprising
level of freshness remains. I don’t see the 2003 ever developing into a
super-complex wine, but it will drink splendidly over the coming years. 2003 is
among the vintages where the harvest took place in August; the others are 2000
and 2001. The 2003 Fratta is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon and 23% Merlot. 93/Anticipated maturity 2009-2019. The
estate’s 2001 Fratta is in a
beautiful place today. At eight years of age, the 2001 is the first wine in
this tasting that shows a measure of tertiary nuance. The essence of roasted
coffee beans, leather, spices and grilled herbs add complexity to a core of
dark fruit. The wine possesses exceptional balance and long, powerful finish.
In 2001 Fratta is 53% Cabernet Sauvignon and 47% Merlot. 94/Anticipated maturity: 2009-2021.

The
2000 Fratta is impressive. It is
another of the riper wines in this line-up, with gorgeous, seamless dark red
fruit followed by notes of espresso, leather and spices that develop in the
glass. The 2000 is one of the more complete wines at this stage. The 2000
Fratta is 54% Cabernet Sauvignon and 46% Merlot. 92/Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020. The 1999 Fratta (67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot)is a dense, full-bodied offering bursting
with dark fruit. This richly-textured wine is more volume than nuance, but it
offers terrific balance and a fine sense of harmony, with firm yet elegant
tannins that frame the close. 92/Anticipated
maturity: 2009-2017. I was quite taken with the 1998 Fratta. It is a sensual, exotic wine laced with truffles,
herbs, spices and leather, all of which come together in an intense,
full-bodied style. The wine reveals tons of density and a long, resonating
finish. In 1998 Fratta is 69% Cabernet Sauvignon and 31% Merlot. 93/Anticipated maturity: 2009-2018. The
1997 Fratta is, as one might
reasonably expect, the most forward of these wines. Though quite beautiful, the
wine is fairly advanced in its soft dark fruit, earthiness and beef bouillon.
It is a pretty, mature wine perfect for near-term enjoyment. The 1997 vintage
was blended by Paul Pontallier of Chateau Margaux. The blend consists of 72%
Cabernet Sauvignon and 28% Merlot. 92/Anticipated
maturity: 2009-2015.

Maculan’s
Crosara is a 100% Merlot that is only made in the best years. The wine spends
12 months in new French oak barrels prior to being bottled without fining and
filtration. The first vintage was 2000. Although the wine has compiled a brief
track record so far, early results are striking.

The
2007 Crosara, tasted from barrel, is
a dense, full-bodied wine that flows with tons of fruit in an expansive,
seamless style. The 2007 is of course very young, but it shows tons of
potential for the future even at this stage. (92-95)/Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025. The 2005 Crosara is an intense, vibrant wine. An array of violets, dark
fruit, herbs, minerals and spices emerges from a tightly-wound, powerful frame.
The 2005 clearly needs further bottle age, but there is a lovely sense of weight
than simply needs time to emerge. This is a far better bottle than the one I
reviewed in my previous article. 93/Anticipated
maturity: 2011-2020.

The
2004 Crosara blossoms on the palate
with layers of ripe, dark fruit. Deceptively medium in body, this beautifully
balanced Crosara shows remarkable harmony and finesse. Sweet notes of menthol
and licorice linger on the finish. The 2004 remains surprisingly primary at
this stage. Further bottle age will only help all the elements meld even more
than they are at present. 95/Anticipated
maturity: 2012-2024. The 2003 Crosara
reveals a touch more density than the 2003 Fratta. It is also further along in
its evolution. Dark fruit, leather spices come together in this elegant and
harmonious Crosara. Ideally the wine is best enjoyed within the next few years,
as the 2003 appears to be on a relatively fast track with regards to aging. 92/Anticipated maturity: 2009-2016.

The
2001 Crosara is endowed with
impeccable balance. Wonderfully sweet and layered, the wine flows from the
glass with dark cherries, leather, spices and minerals in a rich, expansive
style that coats the palate with stunning elegance. The tannins are broad yet
sweet on the finish. This gorgeous Crosara is capable of developing beautifully
for at least another decade. 96/Anticipated
maturity: 2009-2019. The estate’s 2000
Crosara is a round, sumptuous wine bursting with generous dark fruit. There
is wonderful richness and depth to be found in the glass in a style that is a
touch more powerful than the 2001. This is another superb Crosara. 95/Anticipated maturity: 2009-2019.

This
series of sweet dessert wines was truly memorable. Maculan’s Torcolato is made
from air-dried Vespaiola and spends roughly 12 months in French oak (1/3 new),
while the top of the line Acininobili is a berry by berry selection botrytised
fruit that spends two years in new French oak. I typically review the wines in
the 375ml format, but all of these wines were tasted from standard 750ml
bottles, which may account for their youth and vigor. Both Torcolato and
Acininobili have proven to age exceptionally well, a valuable lesson I came
away with after this tasting. The

1998 Torcolato
offers up apricot jam, spices, and white truffles in an elegant, refined style.
The wine remains incredibly fresh, vibrant and vivid all the way through to the
close, showing great balance and polish. It is almost impossible to believe
that this is an 11 year-old wine! 93/Anticipated
maturity 2009-2019. The 1994 Torcolato
flows with the essence of graphite, minerals, spices and orange marmalade.
Floral and mineral notes are woven throughout the fabric of this rich,
masculine dessert wine. Today the 1994 comes across as slightly more powerful
than the 1998. It, too, is fantastic. 94/Anticipated
maturity: 2009-2017.

The
estate’s 1992 Torcolato has taken on
petrol-like aromas and flavors that recall Alsatian Riesling. Most of the
primary fruit has faded, while an array of complex tar, smoke and minerals vie
for center stage. This is a sumptuous, focused and utterly spellbinding
Torcolato to marvel over. 92/Anticipated
maturity: 2009-2017. The 1987 Torcolato
is a sumptuous, opulent and utterly compelling wine that covers every inch of
the palate with a kaleidoscope of tar, licorice, candied orange peel, licorice,
incense and spices. The wine remains energetic and poised with sumptuous,
wonderfully complete personality that words can only fail to describe. 95/Anticipated maturity: 2009-2017.

What
is there to say about the 1985
Acininobili? At nearly 25 years of age it is in its sweet spot (no pun
intended) with no signs whatsoever of fading. This is an impeccable, vivid Acininobili
blessed with exceptional balance and tons of nuance. It is the perfect wine
with which to finish this unforgettable tasting at Maculan. 96/Anticipated maturity: 2009-2015.